Pan-African Parliament Strengthens Global South Alliances

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) held an appraisal meeting on October 30, 2024, with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to South Africa. The meeting is was the first as part of the legislative assembly institution’s efforts to deepen diplomatic ties across the Global South and tackling the pressing issues of peace, security, and funding.

Led by PAP President H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira, the PAP Bureau for the first time invited to the traditionally African Ambassadors’ meeting esteemed diplomats representing key regional parliaments. These were: the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), represented by Brazilian Ambassador H.E. Benedicto Fonseca Filho; the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), represented by High Commissioner Joan Thomas Edwards of Jamaica; and the Arab League, represented by UAE Ambassador H.E. Mahash Saeed Alhameli.

According to the meeting notes, the gathering amplified the potential of the Pan-African Parliament in fostering solidarity and intercontinental alliances crucial to supporting Africa’s position on global issues. This is especially strategic in the context of current affairs, as well as the incoming African Union’s theme for 2025 “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”. 

As the PAP Bureau  emphasized shared values with the Latin American, Caribbean, and Arab representatives, Brazilian Ambassador Fonseca remarked, “President Lula da Silva has been very clear about the emphasis on relations with Africa… and we do intend to forge closer links with the Pan-African Parliament.” Likewise, UAE Ambassador Alhameli and Jamaican High Commissioner Edwards noted the strong political alignment with Africa on shared causes.  “We have connected values… especially through the Arab League, which has a special role,” said Ambassador Alhameli.

I know that as a region, we are very much interested or very much encouraged by the efforts of the Pan-African Parliament, and we do intend to forge closer links with the Pan-African Parliament, especially in light of the upcoming summit which should take place in Togo. We are interested in seeing how we can operationalize our relationship in terms of some tangible activities around the Pan-African Summit. _Jamaican High Commissioner Joan Thomas Edwards 

The President of the Pan-African Parliament  further advocated for PAP’s active role in the AU’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative, which aims to curb insurgencies and unconstitutional governments across Africa. A statement of solidarity with Palestine from the Pan-African Parliament was also agreed upon in the meeting. Hon. Charumbira confirmed that “as an African parliament, any opportunity that presents itself, we also make sure that we make a statement in support of Palestine.”

Lastly, the Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament urged the diplomatic corps to advocate for  institutional reforms within the AU to improve efficiency, and clarify the AU’s fragmented governance structure. Hon. Charumbira likened the slow pace of reform to “trying to teach an elephant to dance,” lamenting the lack of development of efficient oversight mechanisms and clear reporting structures within the AU.